DISGRACELAND

No musician owned pop music quite like Britney Spears at the turn of the century. After graduating from Mississippi tween queen to full-fledged American superstar, her fame exploded at a time when tabloids circled celebrities like prey. 30 to 45 predatory paparazzi would follow Britney’s every move during 12 to 14 hour shifts, eager to document the collapse of her marriage and social circle. As her public image crumbled, it’s no wonder Britney ended 2007 with a bald head and a “blackout.” The conservatorship that came next, however, surprised everyone—even Britney herself.
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence and suicide. If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
This episode was originally published on July 12, 2022.
For the full list of contributors, visit ⁠disgracelandpod.com⁠
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
⁠Instagram⁠
⁠YouTube⁠
⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter)
⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠
⁠TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britney Spears’ 13-year conservatorship was an arrangement so strict and unfeeling that it left her without any control of her career, loopy on lithium, and completely silenced for the sake of seeing her sons and boyfriend. As Britney suffered in silence, she worked nearly non-stop, generating more hits — and revenue — so her father could claim his cut of the profits. But after hundreds of shows in Las Vegas and $137 million in box office sales, Britney buckled and told her conservators “no.” Then her social media went radio silent in 2019. This is the story of what came next — and how Britney Spears finally broke free.
For the full list of contributors, visit ⁠disgracelandpod.com⁠
This episode was originally published on July 26, 2022.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
⁠Instagram⁠
⁠YouTube⁠
⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter)
⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠
⁠TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halloween is over. Evil fading toward good, and grace. Thanksgiving is upon us. Keith Richards’ quiet charity vs. Brian Jones, the irredeemable Stone. Plus, we hear from you on Reggie Watts, Madonna, Blind Melon, and more.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon lived for freedom—on stage in drag, tripping at Woodstock, or swinging mic stands at security guards. From Lafayette to Los Angeles., his journey was a beautiful, brutal high, until it all came crashing down on a tour bus in New Orleans. This is the story of a voice that wouldn’t say no, and the price he paid for it.
To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
This previously exclusive episode was originally published on June 26, 2025.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
⁠Instagram⁠
⁠YouTube⁠
⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter)
⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠
⁠TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Madonna always knew her life would be art. She rose through the late 70s New York scene reinventing pop iconography and feminism alike. But whether it was Toronto police threatening her for indecency, her short-fuse husband, Hollywood bros exploiting her charisma, or far worse, Madonna learned quick: the world doesn’t know what to do with a truly free woman.
To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠.

This episode was originally published on October 22, 2019.
To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (formerly Twitter)
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.